Israeli Occupation Escalates Attacks During Ramadan: Massacres, Mosque Destruction, and Brutal Violations of Palestinian Rights

(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

GENEVA (18 March 2025) – The period between March 11 and 17, 2025, witnessed horrific violations by Israeli forces just before the country reversed its ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The violations, particularly during the sacred month of Ramadan, have sparked outrage across the globe, with widespread killings, attacks on mosques, and severe restrictions on Palestinian freedoms.

The OIC Media Observatory on Israeli Crimes against Palestinians reported a series of brutal attacks, including the targeting of a charity in Beit Lahia, Gaza, where nine Palestinians were killed. During the week, 116 Palestinians were killed, including 79 bodies recovered from under the rubble, and 149 others were injured. This brought the total death toll from October 7, 2023, to March 17, 2025, to 49,517, with 118,741 others wounded. On March 18, 2025, Israel’s aggression reached new heights with over 330 Palestinians killed, most of them women and children, and over 440 others injured, marking one of the deadliest and most genocidal attacks on Gaza.

Blockade of Aid and Continued Aggression Israeli forces have also prevented the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza for weeks, manipulating the aid distribution process while also pushing for an American company to manage it before resuming military aggression. This manipulation has exacerbated the already catastrophic conditions that were somewhat alleviated by the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on January 19, 2025.

Violation of Ramadan’s Sanctity In addition to the ongoing violence in Gaza, the Israeli occupation has flagrantly violated the sanctity of Ramadan, a month of religious significance for Muslims. Israeli forces have escalated attacks on mosques and religious sites, especially in the West Bank. On the second Friday of Ramadan, they stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, evacuating worshippers and imposing severe restrictions on their entry from both the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. This is part of a broader, systematic attack on Palestinian religious sites during Ramadan.

In Hebron, Israeli forces refused to hand over the Ibrahimi Mosque to the Palestinian Waqf administration, denying Palestinians access to the site, a routine practice during the holy month. They also blew up the main gate of the Al-Nasr Mosque in the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarm, and searched it, further escalating tensions and disrespecting religious sanctity.

Settler Violence and Land Seizures The violence was not limited to state forces alone. Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli military forces, have waged a campaign of violence and land theft across the West Bank. In the week between March 11 and 17, 2025, 40 settler attacks on Palestinian villages were recorded. These included burning cars, stealing livestock, raiding tents, and damaging critical infrastructure. In Yatta, 13 sheep were stolen, and in the Jordan Valley, settlers bulldozed Palestinian land to make way for settlement projects.

Israeli forces legalized the “Edorim” settlement outpost in Dura, transforming it into an official settlement, while also establishing a new outpost on Mount Ras Zeid near Hawara. Further illegal construction activities saw settlers bulldozing 70 dunams of Palestinian land, uprooting 80 olive trees, and demolishing vital agricultural infrastructure in Bidya, Salfit, and Nablus.

Demolitions, Confiscations, and Attacks on Medical Teams The Israeli occupation forces continued their systematic policy of demolitions and confiscations. In just seven days, they demolished seven homes and six apartments, burned fruit stalls, and destroyed car showrooms, warehouses, and agricultural facilities. They also confiscated vital equipment, including bulldozers, cranes, and even a water tanker in Tubas.

Medical personnel were not spared from Israeli aggression. Israeli forces detained a Palestinian Red Crescent medical team and assaulted a paramedic in Tulkarm camp, as well as beating up an ambulance crew in Nablus. These brutal attacks on healthcare workers, who are meant to provide life-saving services, highlight the broader disregard for Palestinian rights and well-being.

Settler Violence Escalates The settler violence in the West Bank, bolstered by the Israeli military, shows no signs of slowing. In addition to attacking villages, settlers have continued to expand their presence in Palestinian lands, including the theft of Palestinian livestock, the bulldozing of agricultural land, and damage to essential infrastructure, all under the protection of Israeli forces. The escalating violence and land confiscations have only deepened the humanitarian crisis, exacerbating tensions and suffering.

A Catastrophic Toll In total, the OIC Observatory recorded 1,613 violations over the course of this week alone, ranging from mass murders and attacks on religious sites to land theft and displacement of Palestinians. The scale of these violations reveals the ongoing brutality of Israel’s occupation and its systematic efforts to undermine the rights, lives, and dignity of Palestinians.

As Israel’s ceasefire agreement falters and violence against Palestinians intensifies, the international community faces urgent questions about how to hold Israel accountable for these ongoing atrocities and how to safeguard the lives and rights of Palestinians, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.

The world watches as Israel continues its policies of massacres, land theft, attacks on religious sites, and oppression, with no end in sight to the suffering of the Palestinian people.